§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what measures have been introduced to ensure the United Kingdom meets the targets for the 70 per cent. reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions by 2005 and 80 per cent. by 2010, as agreed under the UN Economic Commission for Europe's second sulphur protocol;
(2) what action his Department has taken to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions;
(3) what measures he has introduced to ensure the United Kingdom meets its targets for the 40 per cent. reduction in 1980 level of sulphur dioxide emissions by 1998 as agreed under the Brussels directive of 1990.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Secretary of State published the United Kingdom national plan for the reduction of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions in December 1990. The plan aims to deliver the UK commitment, under the 1988 large combustion plants directive, to a 40 per cent. reduction in 1980 levels of sulphur dioxide emissions from large combustion plants by 1998.
My Department is preparing a national sulphur strategy to meet the targets for reduction in total sulphur dioxide emissions to which the UK is committed under the UN Economic Commission for Europe's second sulphur protocol and will be consulting on the strategy in due course.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the level of sulphur dioxide emissions in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe list following gives estimated emissions of sulphur dioxide, by source, for 1979–1992.
413W
Estimated emissions of sulphur dioxides (SO2) by source category for 1979–1992 Thousand tonnes 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Commercial/public service 221 197 178 170 143 148 128 135 107 101 89 90 83 84 Refineries 228 237 185 165 117 115 96 108 102 97 109 109 115 131 Iron and steel 244 128 116 101 83 75 80 80 80 85 89 88 83 83 Other industrial combustion 1,139 930 738 667 552 491 456 517 481 509 505 497 493 518 Non-combustion processes 36 35 30 26 27 27 26 24 22 23 22 19 18 14 Extraction and dist. of fossil 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 Road Transport 55 42 53 49 42 43 45 50 46 54 61 63 58 62 Railways 14 11 9 8 5 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 3 Civil aircraft 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 — 2 1 — 1 2 3 Shipping 67 62 53 57 52 55 50 48 45 46 57 61 61 60 Agriculture 30 21 17 15 12 10 8 9 8 7 7 8 8 8 Total 5,542 4,899 4,438 4,213 3,862 3,721 3,726 3,897 2,900 3,813 3,722 3,782 3,574 3,500 Source:
Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics No. 16 1994
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been carried out by his Department into the effects of sulphur dioxide emissions.
§ Mr. AtkinsThe Department has undertaken a large programme of scientific research over several years into the effects on the environment of sulphur dioxide emissions. The scientific findings have been reviewed by several of the Department's expert advisory groups, including the review group on acid rain, the terrestrial effects review group and the critical loads advisory group. Copies of their reports are available in the Library of the House.
§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the differences in the sulphur dioxide emissions produced by hazardous waste incinerators and those produced by cement kilns.
§ Mr. AtkinsAll operators of the hazardous waste incinerators and cement plants are required to monitor sulphur dioxide emissions. Cement plants produce higher amounts of sulphur dioxide. This is because hazardous waste incinerators dispose of wastes that mostly contain no sulphur, while cement plants use fossil fuels and raw materials that contain significant amounts of sulphur.